August

two Wellesley faculty don hard hats as they prepare to tour newly renovated Founders Hall
Screen shot of our faux realtor ready to tour newly renovated Founders Hall

First Phase of Renovations Ready for Use in Founders Hall

August 29, 2014

Exploring new spaces on their historic college campus, Wellesley faculty look for that just-right office space... with a nod and a wink to HGTV's House Hunters.


screenshot from Wellesley's Online Italian course
screen shot from Wellesley's Italian Online course, showing video scene

Wellesley Wraps Up First Online Language Course

August 21, 2014

Beginning Italian Language and Culture made its debut as a non-credit summer course offered by invitation through edX Edge; it will be incorporated into Daniela Bartalesi-Graf's blended (online and in-class) intensive Italian course this fall.


Persis Drell laughing
Persis Drell

Wellesley Women Named to Leadership Roles at Stanford

August 27, 2014

Persis Drell '77 'P16 (pictured) has been named dean of engineering at Stanford University, the first woman to hold the position. In another first for women, Sandra Horbach '82 has been appointed chair of the board for Stanford Business School.


composer Thomas and fellows review scores
music workshop in Houghton Chapel

Wellesley Hosts Composers Conference & Chamber Music Workshops

August 1, 2014

This innovative, selective program furthers the potential of emerging composers and develops the talent of amateur chamber musicians—and offers free concerts to the public. Established composers Augusta Read Thomas (pictured) and Steven Mackey mentor the fellows this year.


students discuss leadership styles in small groups
diverse students discuss leadership styles in small group

Student Leaders Prepare for Orientation

August 22, 2014

A sense of excitement bubbles up on campus as student leaders and orientation staff return to campus and gear up to greet new students next week and launch a year of community-building, mentoring, and leading across the College.


Alumna TJ Jarrett '95 writes code by day, poetry by night
closeup of lines of computer code

The Atlantic Profiles TJ Jarrett '95, Coder by Day, Poet by Night

August 8, 2014

For emerging poet TJ Jarrett '95, poetry and computer programming have become a double career that encourages her to think critically, work creatively, and ask questions about how the world works.


Kanda Faye holding keyboard, wires, boxes in a room full of retired Wellesley computers
Kanda Faye '15 working on refurbishing retired computers at Wellesley

Sustainable Tech Initiative Makes a Difference on and off Campus

August 28, 2014

Kanda Faye ’15 is the coordinator of WISC, or the Wellesley Initiative for Sustainable Computing, a Library & Technology Services program that overhauls and repurposes computing equipment that has been retired at the College.


students playing cards in dorm room
Wellesley students in dorm room

Wellesley Renewal Projects Generate Donations to Area Nonprofits

August 5, 2014

Local organizations benefited from donations of furniture, kitchen equipment, and other goods that were removed through various campus renewal projects.


Rini Mariani Soemarno Soewandi '80 and Jokowi Widodo
Rini Mariani Soemarno Soewandi '80 and Jokowi Widodo

Wellesley Alumna to Lead Indonesian Presidential Transition Team

August 6, 2014

Rini Mariani Soemarno Soewandi '80 will head Indonesian President-elect Joko “Jokowi” Widodo's transition team, which is in place to aid in smooth transfer of power from the outgoing president.


Crayfish cells
crayfish cells

Study by Professsor Barbara Beltz Finds New Source of Neurons in Crayfish

August 12, 2014

Professor Barbara Beltz' research revealed that blood cells in crayfish are an unexpected source of neurons. The study may have implications for treatment of diseases that are related to adult neurogenesis in humans.


student greeted by McAfee Hall student leaders
new student greeted by McAfee student leaders

It's Move-In Day!

August 25, 2014

Wellesley welcomes the class of 2018 and new transfer students to campus. The 595 members of the newest purple class come from 44 states plus the District of Columbia, and from 29 different nations of citizenship.


Three new MasterCard Foundation Scholars join the Wellesley Class of 2018
Meba Gebre, Lisa Luka, and Sarah Nzau chat together in a wood paneled room

Wellesley Welcomes Three New MasterCard Foundation Scholars

August 26, 2014

This week, Wellesley welcomes three new MasterCard Foundation Scholars as members of the class of 2018. Meba Gebre ’18, Lisa Luka ’18, and Sarah Nzau ’18 are the second cohort of extraordinary students to attend Wellesley through the scholarship program.


Wellesley Neuroscientist's Research Could Have Implications for Treatment of Neurodegenerative Disorders

August 21, 2014

A new study co-authored by Wellesley Neuroscientist Barbara Beltz demonstrates that the immune system can produce cells with stem cell properties, using crayfish as a model system.


Hahrie Han: How Organizations Develop Activists

August 21, 2014

A new book by Wellesley's Hahrie Han is the first to provide an in-depth look at why some civic organizations are better at attracting—and retaining—activists in the Internet age.


"tanner" and direction arrow chalked on sidewalk
students mingle in open space beneath Tanner banner

Tanner Conference Seeks Applicants

August 20, 2014

The 2014 Tanner Conference will be held Tuesday, October 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:10 p.m. at Wellesley College Science Center. The deadline to apply to be a presenter at this fascinating and diverse forum for sharing off-campus learning is noon on September 9, 2014.


Getty image: children sleeping in refugee center
children sleeping in refugee center

Wellesley Economist Offers Expert Analysis in Immigration Coverage

August 19, 2014

Kristin Butcher ’86, Marshall I. Goldman Professor of Economics and Chair of the Economics Department spoke with the news site Wallet Hub about the possible economic implications of the estimated 74,000 migrant children to cross American borders this year.


Rachel Thommen with Azorean mountains in background
street scene with ocean in distance

Student Summer Project: Rachel Thommen '17

August 18, 2014

With the encouragement of Mellon Foundation Lecturer Antonio Igrejas, who taught Wellesley's first courses in Portuguese, sophomore Rachel Thommen participated in a cross-cultural program shadowing doctors on São Miguel Island in the Azores.


Cindy Coffee '16
Wellesley Student Featured in Boston Globe Front Page Story

Cindy Emefa Coffee ’16 Pursues Research in Ghana Despite Ebola Outbreak

August 13, 2014

Cindy Emefa Coffee ’16 spoke with the Boston Globe about her decision to go on a planned research trip to Ghana despite the deadly Ebola outbreak in nearby countries.


great white shark
great white shark

Shark Research in the Wellesley Community

August 14, 2014

A great white named for a Wellesley alumna and the Discovery Channel’s annual Shark Week inspired us to explore a few Wellesley connections to research on the ocean’s most feared and, arguably, most misunderstood creatures.


brook under arching branch in Wellesley Botanic Garden
inside the greenhouses

Wellesley College Botanic Gardens in Metrowest Daily News

August 15, 2014

The Wellesley College Botanic Gardens were recently showcased by the Metrowest Daily News, which called Wellesley's gardens "one of the best-kept horticultural secrets in the area."


Ami Swanepoele '02 and Victoria Rines '15 make a three-fingered Wellesley W sign
Amina Swanepoel laughs while participating in game with community members

Student Summer Project: Victoria Rines '15

August 11, 2014

Thanks to the Wellesley network and the Madeleine Albright Institute for Global Affairs, Victoria Rines ’15 spent her summer interning with Amina Swanepoel '02 and her NGO Roots of Health in the Philippines.


two MIT-Wellesley couples prepare for competition
dancing couple in ballroom competition by Kojo Acquah 2014

MIT-Wellesley Ballroom Dance Team Celebrates 40 Years

August 7, 2014

Since 1974 the MIT-Wellesley Ballroom Dance Team has offered its members an opportunity to learn and compete in a new sport and join a diverse community passionate about dancing.


Patrice Caldwell
Austin at night

Student Summer Project: Patrice Caldwell '15

August 4, 2014

Inspired by a prestigious conference she won a scholarship to earlier in the year, rising senior Patrice Caldwell takes her skills and passion for writing to a summer's work with the Writers League of Texas.